How to use the Maps task for Windows Phone 8

[ This article is for Windows Phone 8 developers. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation. ]

The Maps task launches the Maps application. You can provide a search string that is used to find and mark locations on the map. You can optionally specify a center point for the map that appears. If you do not specify the center, the user’s current location is used as the center. You can also specify the zoom level to use initially when the map appears.

By using Launchers, you help provide a consistent user experience throughout the Windows Phone platform. For more information, see Launchers and Choosers for Windows Phone 8.

Important Note:
The Maps application will not be launched if the device is in a location where it is not supported. Instead, a dialog will be displayed to the user indicating that Maps is unavailable in their location.

To use the Maps task

1. Add a reference to the System.Device assembly to your project.

2. Add the following statements to your code.

   Imports Microsoft.Phone.Tasks
   

   using Microsoft.Phone.Tasks;
   

   Imports System.Device.Location
   

   using System.Device.Location;
   

3. Add the following code to your application wherever you need it, such as in a button click event. To test this procedure, you can put the code in the page constructor. This is the code to launch the task.

           Dim mapsTask As MapsTask = New MapsTask()
   
           'Omit the Center property to use the user's current location.
           'mapsTask.Center = new GeoCoordinate(47.6204, -122.3493);
   
           mapsTask.SearchTerm = "coffee"
           mapsTask.ZoomLevel = 2
   
           mapsTask.Show()
   
   

               MapsTask mapsTask = new MapsTask();
   
               //Omit the Center property to use the user's current location.
               //mapsTask.Center = new GeoCoordinate(47.6204, -122.3493);
   
               mapsTask.SearchTerm = "coffee";
               mapsTask.ZoomLevel = 2;
   
               mapsTask.Show();
   
   

See Also

Reference

MapsTask

Center

ZoomLevel

GeoCoordinate

Other Resources

How to use the Maps directions task for Windows Phone 8